George Mason hosts AIRDC Workshop, marks launch of new Center for Satellite and Earth Science Research
As air quality challenges grow more complex, researchers unite to accelerate solutions across disciplines and institutions.
Air quality researchers from across the Washington, D.C. region and beyond gathered on June 9, 2026, at George Mason University for the 4th Annual Air Quality Research and Development Consortium (AIRDC) Workshop. The one-day event brought together scientists, modelers, and policy-focused experts to share emerging research and strengthen collaboration around some of the most urgent challenges in air quality and across the Earth system sciences.
The workshop opened with welcome remarks from Daniel Tong, professor in the J. Shukla Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences and director of the Center for Satellite and Earth Science Research (CSER), who emphasized the importance of regional collaboration and innovation in addressing increasingly complex environmental issues.
“The greater Washington, D.C. area is like the Silicon Valley for atmospheric science,” Tong said. “We have thousands of scientists working on this topic in federal labs, universities and industry. Although we all live in this area, we do not see each other that often. Sometimes, we have to travel thousands of miles to catch up at major conferences.”
Participants and partners included researchers from Johns Hopkins University, George Washington University, University of Maryland, Howard University, American University, and the University of Maryland Baltimore County, as well as collaborators from Maryland Department of the Environment, DC Department of Energy and Environment, NOAA, DOE, and NASA.
Throughout the day, researchers shared new approaches to understanding air pollution sources, behavior, and impacts. Presentations spanned satellite-based mapping of nitrogen oxide emissions, methane trends in the U.S. and globally, and emissions modeling in diverse environments.
According to Patrick Campbell, associate director for business development for CSER, what stood out most was the strong integration of satellite observations, advanced monitoring and modeling, and AI-enabled data fusion, reflecting both the challenges and how rapidly the field is moving toward unified, data-driven approaches.
Additional talks examined community-level exposure, transportation emissions, wildfire impacts, urban air toxics, and ozone trends, with a consistent emphasis on integrating satellite, ground, and model data to produce more accurate, actionable insights.
“Collaborations like this one is so important because air quality challenges span climate, health, and environmental justice, making cross-institution collaboration essential to integrate expertise, accelerate innovation, and deliver real-world solutions,” said Campbell.
The event concluded with a reception marking the official launch of the Center for Satellite and Earth Science Research (CSER). The new center, based in the College of Science, aims to advance Earth system science in the fields of atmospheric composition and air quality through cutting-edge satellite technology, interdisciplinary modeling research, and policy-relevant analysis. CSER will focus on delivering data-driven insights to support environmental resilience, improve public health outcomes, and inform decision-making at local, national, and global levels.
“We are excited to establish a platform for researchers to work together. By using the latest technology, including Earth system models, satellites, and Artificial Intelligence, we can design and deploy better early warning systems for extreme weather events. Each year, thousands of people were killed by dust storms or wildfires. CSER is here to save these lives, one life at a time,” said Tong.
CSER’s leadership team includes Director Daniel Tong; Patrick Campbell, associate director for business development; Bok-Haeng “BH” Baek, associate director for research; Zafer Boybeyi, associate director for education; and Youhua Tang, chief scientist. Together, they will guide the center’s efforts in remote sensing, air quality modeling, and scientific workforce development.
“What’s most exciting is CSER’s potential to bridge research and real-world impact while training the next generation of scientists to work across disciplines and scales,” said Campbell.
The 2026 AIRDC Workshop underscored the importance of collaboration across institutions and disciplines in tackling air quality challenges. As new technologies and analytical tools continue to evolve, researchers emphasized that partnerships like AIRDC, and new initiatives like CSER, will play a vital role in translating scientific advances into actionable solutions.
